Anchoring devices



July 31, 1962 F. O. EBY

ANCHORING DEVICES .Filed Dec. 29, 1958 my; T./ 3 W mam W 0 W k m States Fatent fire 3,046,984 ANCHGRING DEVICES Florence 0. Eby, 28574 Red Leaf Lane, Royal Oak, Mich. Filed Dec. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 783,361 Claims. (c1. 12s 214 This invention relates generally to anchoring devices and more particularly to a device for anchoring an intravenous needle in a patient. It may also be used for anchoring Levine tubes to patients faces.

The prevalent method of anchoring intravenous needles or Levine tubes is by adhesive tape which is cut into strips and then is applied on top of the needle and tubing after it has been inserted in the patients vein. This method, while being generally used, is not completely satisfactory. For example, with such a method, the needle is not well stabilized in that it often pulls out of the vein resulting in extra-venous infiltration. The use of adhesive tape is also often messy and time consuming in applying and removing.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a new device which is especially adapted to anchor an intravenous needle in a neat and secure manner.

A further object is to provide an anchor which will hold a needle at a desired angle relative to the vein to facilitate fluid flow thereinto.

A further object is to provide such an anchor which is inexpensive to manufacture and which may be discarded after one use.

A further object is to provide such an anchor which is rigid enough to give support to the needle and at the same time flexible enough to make it conform to the portion of the needle and tubing to which it is applied.

A still further object is to provide such an anchoring device which may be sold attached to the intravenous tubing by the tubing manufacturer.

Other objects will be apparent from the specification, claims and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an intravenous needle and tubing secured to a patients arm with my anchoring device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred form of my anchoring device;

FIG. 3 is view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is a view of my anchoring device used to secure the main intravenous needle and tubing and also the auxiliary anesthetic tubing.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral 1 designates generally my anchoring device which in its most complete form comprises two separate units 2 and 4. The unit 2, which is applied over the transparent plastic shank 6 of the needle 8, comprises a substantially rectangular piece of foil which is bent against the needle shank 6. Preferably the unit 2 is made of aluminum but can be made of any material which is bendable by hand pressure and which will retain the shape to which it is formed. I have found that aluminum foil .005 inch thick, 1% wide, and 1 /8 long is satisfactory. A rectangular opening 12 is locatedcentrally of the foil 10 and as will be explained serves as a viewing window. Preferably the opening or window 12 is nearer the edge 13 than the edge 15 and its longitudinal axis extends along the 1%" dimension of the unit 2. While this arrangement is not critical, I have found that a satisfactory arrangement is to have one end located approximately /8 of an inch from edge 15 and the other end of the opening 12 /2 from the edge 13. The width of the opening 12 should be great enough to permit the shank 6 to extend there through and which may be for example M1, inch wide. At the opposite edge portions 13 and 15 are outwardly opening concave substantially semicircular apertures 14 and 16 which, for example, may be of inch radius.

A slot 18 extends inwardly from one side edge 19, of the foil 10 and is substantially aligned with the end of the aperture 12 which faces the end edge 15. A similar slot 20 extends inwardly from the opposite side edge 21 and is located at about the same distance from the edge 13 as the slot 18 is from the edge 15. Preferably the edges 19 and 21 are rounded as shown to remove corners which might catch on other objects.

An adhesive layer 22 is applied to one surface of the foil 10 and this is protected by a removable sheet member 24- to protect the adhesive layer 22 prior to the time the foil is secured to the patients arm at which time it will of course be removed and discarded. I have found that an adhesive known to the trade as Kleen-Stic is very satisfactory and is non-allergic to the patient.

The second unit 4 comprises a piece of foil 26 of aluminum or other material as described in connection with the unit 2 to which a layer of adhesive -(not shown) covered with a protective backing (not shown) has been applied. The adhesive preferably is the same as used for the unit 2. The unit 4 is substantially rectangular with its corners rounded. Centrally, the foil 26 is provided with an aperture 28 to permit the tubing which feeds the needle 8 to pass there through. I have found that an aperture of A diameter is satisfactory in a foil piece 26 which is .005 inch thick, wide and 1%" long. A small outwardly facing concave aperture 30 is provided in one side edge 32 of the foil piece 26.

The needle 8, in addition to the plastic shank 6, comprises a hollow meta-l portion 34 provided with a sharp end portion for insertion into the patients arm. As normally furnished, the needle 8 is provided with a short length of flexible tubing 36 which is designed to be connected to the container 40 for the fluid which is to be put into the patients vein. A flow controlling device (not shown) but of any usual construction, well known to those skilled in the art, controls the flow of fluid through the need-1e 8.

Sometime prior to use, the anchor units 2 and 4- are threaded onto the tubing portion 36. This may be done by the manufacturer or distributor of the tubing or it may be done by the user. If desired the units 2 and 4 may not be threaded on the tubing portion 36 but may be placed thereover as shown in FIG. 6. These anchors may also be boxed separately and sold as extra items to be placed on trays on the floors of hospitals.

Sometime prior to insertion of the needle portion 34 into the patients vein, the protective backing is removed from the adhesive layers on the units 2 and 4. After the needle has been inserted the units 2 and 4 are firmly pressed against the patients skin and the foil pieces 10 and 26 formed to conform with the outer configuration of the surfaces against which they are placed. By proper manipulation and forming of the member 2 it may be used to support the needle 8 at any desired angle relative to the patients vein for-permitting proper flow of fluid thereinto. This can best be accomplished by holding the needle at the desired angle with one hand and then forming the center part of the member 2 around the transparent shank 6 and then securing the outer portion of the member 2 to the patients arm. The rigidity of the foil 10 will then continue to hold the needle at the set angle relative to the patients vein. This is best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

In the form shown in FIG. 6 the units 2 and 4 are if desired a third auxiliary tube '(not shown) leading to supplemental needles one such 46 being shown and which supplemental needles may be inserted into the tubing portion 36 for supplying supplemental fluids one of which might be anesthesia tothe fluid being supplied to the patients veins through this main tubing 36. The third tube would of course be anchored under the other of the cars 43. 7

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An anchor device for securing to a patient a pair of intravenous needles of the type having a transparent section, comprising; a first substantially rectangular sheet member of a material which is. readily deformable by manual manipulation and which when deformed will retain its shape against forces normally encountered in intravenous feeding operations, a layer of adhesive on one surface of said sheet member whereby said member may be secured to the skin of a patient, said member having a rectangularaperture substantially centrally thereof and adapted when in place to overlie the transparent section of one .of said needle apparatus, said member having a slot extending inwardly from one edge portion thereof f in the general direction of said aperture to provide a leaf section for securing a second of said needle apparatus to the patient in fixed relation to said one needle apparatus, said sheet member having a second slot extending inwardly from a second edge of said member, said slots extending over halfway from the said edge through which itextends toward said aperture, said slots extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said aperture and adjacent opposite longitudinal ends thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the material of said sheet member is aluminum foil of a thickness of about .005 inchand said adhesive is pressure sensitive.

3. In combination, an intravenous needle assembly and at least one sheet member element for securing said assemblyto a patient, said needle assembly comprising a rigid portion insertable into a patients vein and a transparent section by which the flow of fluid through said rigid needle portion may be observed, said sheet member element having a central aperture registering with said transparent section, said sheet member being of a material which is readily deformable by manual manipulation and which when deformed will retain its shape against forces normally encountered in intravenous feeding operations; said sheet member also having a layer of adhesive on the surface thereof to be received against a patient, and said needle assembly, the portion of said sheet member adjacent said needle assembly being formed in a shape generally conforming to the contour of the adjacent portion of said needle assembly adjacent thereto;

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said sheet member is substantially rectangular, said aperture is rectangular and of a width substantially equal to thediameter of said transparent section. i a

5. The combination 'of claim 4 in which said sheet member is provided with at least one elongated slot extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said rectangular aperture adjacent one end portion thereof, said slot opening outwardly through a first edge of said member, the portion of said member between said slot and a second edge forming an ear, a second needle assembly in fluid flow communication with said first needle assembly and extending under said ear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

